Gilded Roses
by RachaelAislynn
Summary: Thorn is as prickly as her name, and is a surprisingly anti social resident of PonyVille. She doesn't talk much and never jokes. This is because of a past that no-pony should ever experience. When Twilight Sparkle goes missing, and Thorn is the only known witness, she and Rainbow dash must set out to rescue her. But from who?
1. Chapter 1

Thorn tossed her Burgundy mane out of her eyes and frowned at the pony in front of her, "What is it, Rainbow Dash?"

The blue pony smiled, "Why the long face, Thorn? Aren't you happy? Today's the festival!" A snort from the unicorn caused Rainbow Dash to frown, as well. "Man, you are such a buzzkill." Thorn shook her head helplessly and turned away, "No, I just don't care for parades and parties. I don't care who it is for. I'm not going. Have a nice day." And she walked towards home with a sigh.

"But Wait," Cried Rainbow Dash. "Won't you at least give it a try? You'll love it, I promise." Thorn looked at her friend reproachfully, "No. Forget it. I'm just going to go and… I'm going for a walk."

"Alright," Said the rowdy pony. "I'll see you later, then." And Rainbow Dash was gone.

Thorn felt guilty for refusing her friend's offer, but knew that it was only for the best. Thorn didn't belong among the joyful crowds like Rainbow Dash did. She didn't have the energy that Rainbow Dash had. More importantly, she didn't have Rainbow Dash. As the black and burgundy unicorn neared the woods, she sighed. Although she liked being alone, she would much more prefer her time spent with Rainbow Dash.

That was another reason that she tried to keep Rainbow Dash from staying around for too long. She knew that what she felt would be shunned, but that didn't stop her from feeling it. It hurt that Rainbow dash would never fall for her.

She was almost glad when Rainbow Dash left her alone. It decreased the possibly that she would say something stupid like "I like you." Or something worse… like "I love you."

Thorn sat down at the edge of a pond, under a shade tree that grew sweet smelling flowers. The pond was always so calm and she could clearly see her reflection in its opaque depths. Her Acid Green eyes were rimmed with thick eyelashes that the divas of Ponyville sometimes envied, and her long Maroon mane wouldn't stop falling in front of her eyes. Her coat was a charcoal black and her cutie mark was a bright red rose whose stem was wrapped in silver barbed wire. Her horn was black like her coat and she wore a medallion with her cutie mark around her neck. Her outside appearance matched her inward appearance a little too well, and Thorn hated it. It made the older ponies sneer at her. Had made her parents abandon her. And made Rainbow Dash pity her.

A scream snatched her out of her revelry. A cry for help. The unicorn raced in that direction and stopped dead in her tracks. Three large Serpents had wrapped themselves around a violet pony. One that made the situation so very dire.

"Twilight Sparkle," gasped Thorn before she raced to her rescue. She attacked one of the serpents and crushed part of its body with her hooves.

And then from behind her came a sharp pain and she crumpled to the ground with a cry of pain. She whimpered in pain, unable to move her left posterior leg or turn her head. As her eyes began to close, she could only watch as the serpents drug the limp purple pony away. "N-no…" She muttered just before her vision blurred and everything went away.


	2. A Plan

Thorn had woken up in a warm bed, her head fuzzy. She felt like she was in the best mood in the world. And she hated it. They had been giving her painkillers and relaxants whenever the previous dose wore off. She felt like she was slow, the cogs in her head turning half their normal speed. The unicorn managed to sit up, for once. Although her head injuries were long gone, her leg was still broken.

Thorn lifted herself from her bed, careful not to put any weight on her injured limb. She had an awkward gait, momentarily, only until she got herself used to limping. there was a sharp pain in her leg, now. With a the smallest of smiles, she exited the building and made her way to rainbow dash's house. There, she found rainbow dash in her back yard. The pony with the rainbow colored mane didn't notice Thorn until the ball she had tossed away came back and hit her on the head. Rainbow Dash smiled and walked over to her friend. "Hey, I tried to visit you in the hospital... they didn't let me in to see you though." Rainbow Dash apologized. Thorn nodded, "I heard your bickering with the guard at my door." The blue pony became sheepish, " Did you? Oh, I didn't mean to wake you."

Thorn and Rainbow Dash spent the next few hours telling each other what the past week had brought them. Thorn was worried about Twilight Sparkle, but was certain that someone had been dispatched to find her. She didn't know for certain, but she would find out later. As the two friends enjoyed a day together, Thorn had the feeling of being watched and she would, every so often, catch a glimpse of slither in the grass from the corner of her eye. This made the unicorn very paranoid. She spent the next few hours being onlyvaguely aware of her surrounding, her mind constantly replaying what the Hydra had been hissing. "Horizon Red."

The only reason that she could think of was that Horizon Red, a prince gone rogue, had somehow gained the loyalty of the Serpent Wrangler, A very old, very stuck Iin his ways pony who very muh disliked that there was a queen over Equestria. He would have been more than willing to help a potential king to the throne.

After parting from Rainbow Dash's house, Thorn made her slow way back to her bed. She didn't get a wink of sleep, but she was very much able to form a plan that would ensure the safe return of Twilight Sparkle.


End file.
